Latch for mine-car doors



' Tov all whom 'it mayV concern .1

Parental July 2s, 192,5.

i NELSONA c. Kos'rENBAUDER, or ARIsrEs,vr PENNSYLVANIA.'

. i LATCH FOR VvivrINn-ciua Doons. `v i Applicationy filled Augustl, 1924.7 lSerial No. 732,725.

" This invention relates'to improvements in latches for mine car doorsl and` has for its principal object to provide asimple and efiicientl means forlholding the swinging door of a mine carin a closed'positionagainst accidental opening and thereby preventing the loss ofcoalffrom the lcar while'the latter is in transit. Y

' Another important yobject of the invention is to provide a latch'for car doorswherein the same may be readily andeasily actuated for moving the door engaging `member out of engagement with the door to permit-the swinging movement thereof after the mine car has reached its destination and the con-- tents of the 'car are to be dischargedytherefrom.

'Av further objectofv thev Vinvention is to provide a latch `for mine car-doors of the above mentioned character,'which is ofsuch a construction as to obviate the necessity of employingany complicated tool or necessitating the `loss'o'f considerable time and labor inl releasing the latch from its' locked' position. A Y n 'A still further object ofthe invention is to provide a `latchA for mine car` doors of the above mentioned character, Which is simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable and furthermore adapted for the purposes for which it is designated. i

vOther objects and advantages of this invention will 'become apparent duringcthe course of the following description.V

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this 'specification andin whichlke numerals designate like parts throughout thesame: l

Figure l is an elevational view of a mine car door showing the manner in which my improved invention is associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown. the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates a portion of a mine car, the door thereof being illustrated at 2. The door is las easily operated;

supported' at `its upper edge on'the transversely extending shaft 3 which is j ournaled in thebrackets l mounted on the top of the sides of ther .car body or standards and whereby the door is adapted for upward swinging movement inl the mannery well known in the art.

'The Vlatches'now 4 universally in use on the doors of mine cars frequently become disengaged due to the vibration of the car while in transitl which results in the loss Va bar. or some other heavyy object :when desirous of releasing the latch in order to open the door or gate 5. This obviously necessitates the loss ofconsiderable length of time and labor. In order to overcome the above disadvantages, I have provided.- a latch which is very simple in construction, as vwell My improved latch@ comprises an elongated rod 5' which is rotatably supportedin suitable bearings 6 mounted kon the ibottom of the carA body adjacent the outer ,loweredge of thevdoor 2 in the mannerclearly illustrated in the drawing.A The rod 5 .is bent intermediate its ends to provide a pair of upstandingl arms 7 and 8 respectively, the same being adapted for engagement with the outer face of the door in the manner as also clearlyv illustrated vin; the drawing. The arms 7 'and 8 provide a means for preventing'theoutward swinging movement of the door 2 when in engagement therewith and may further be swung out ofV engagement with the door to permit the later in the manner hereinafter to be more fully described.: A Y

One endl-of the rod 5 terminatesl in an upward extension 9 the samebeing disposed adjacent one of thestandards 'l0 to the sides of the car body adjacent the lower end of the same and the door 2. The extension 9 provides what I term as a bolt and cooperating therewith is the keeper or retaining loop l1.

Thel retaining loop 11 is formed on the outer end of the rod 12 which extends through a suitable opening provided in the standard l() adjacent the extension or bolt 9 formed on one end of the rod 5 and is adapted to rotate therein. This rod 12 ex- 1,541,873"- 1?AT'ENT`4oFJFl'iCE.; l

Furthermore, with i tends longitudinally in respect to the car and laterally with respect to the door locking means 5. Reinforcing plates such` as are shown at 13 are secured on the yoppositesides of the standard-through whichthe'frod '12 extends and the plates are provided with openings adapted Jfor registry 'with the' opening in the standard -for'receivingtherod Y scribed.

whichiorms an aotuatinglever'in the manner in which the same will be'presentlyde- 'IVhen the parts are no'rmallyvin the-'posi-Y tion as shown in the'drawing, whereinthe arms 7 and 8 of the rod enga-ge vthei'outer face-ofV the door :21and thefreta-i-ningloop or After the'minec'ar has reachedits destination-andthe contents thereof Vare'to bedis-k charged it is only necessary to-'swing f upward-l on the lever y142 in the'mann'er Jas illustrated in. the dotted lines in Figure 1--of the drawing wherebytherretaining loop or keeper 1l is moved out of engagementwith the/upper endofthe'blt'Q andthe rod 5 may thenbe free to rotate vin the'bearing-G due to the weight of the. lading-against'the door causing f the--arms 7 and 8 to swing outwardly outY of engagement v'with the door 2 fand permit4 thelatter lto swing-outwardly 'and upwardly ,andthereby"permitY the coal to' be 'emptied from the car.`

IVhen itis desired'tofhold the door in its closed position yagainst outward swinging movement, it will onlyl benecessaryV to move the arms Tand Supwardly into engagement with the outer face of theV door byraisingthe Vextension 9 and'by-swingirrg the lever 14 downwardly, the keeper lor retainingv loop I1l Awill again be disposed'over the:y upper. end of the bolt y9.

-It willthus be seen from the foregoing "description, that av latch vfor mine car doors has been'provide'd which will 'at all times be positiver and efficient in carrying Outi the purposes for which the same is'designated A'a'n'd'will'not in 'any way interferewith the operation of the mine car'whenrm' transit. l

Vhile I have shown vtheV preferred embodi- The rod 12 terminates at its opposite` end,I in the downwardly Vextending portionliv ment of my invention it is to be understood that various changes infth'e size, shape and arrangement of parts, may be 'resorted to without departing from the spirit of the inn Y `ve'ntion y:and 1the scope of f the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what `I claim is 1 vl. 1In combination with an upwardly swinging door for Vminecars, of a latch therefor' comprising an elongatedro-drotat- V ably supported o n Vthe bottomf of'y the car adjacent'the outer lower portionA ofthedoor,

doorengaging members kassociated with'the rod ior ypreventing the outward V- swinging on one end Vofthe ro'dlproviding ay bolt, alieep-V er supported on the sidefc'ar acent' tlie vdoor for engagement -witlithe boltsaid .fl ieeper comprisingaa frod J-on the side ,of the Vcar adapted for rotation thereon, vronefen-dthereof being provided with a retainingloop for enga-gement withv the end of, the extension, and a lever on the 'opposite enol oftlie] rod for moving ythe 'retaining loop. into ...and out of engage-ment with theV bolt. l

2. In combination with the upwardly swinging door-.of ,a mine car, of'a'latchf therefor comprisingfanfelongated rod vrotatably supported on the bottom-fof the body ofthe car adjacent the outer lower portionof the door, saidrod bei-ngVbenti-ntermediate its ends togprovide aipair ofupwardly extendingarms adapted .-iorengafgement with the outer face .of the 'door to preventthe outward swingingvm'ovement thereof, means. Vforllock- A ing the rodi-against rotationand holding"l the 'arms in locked engagementiwith the-door, said means comprising an upward extension formed on one end of '-tlierod, providing a bolt, a-keeper adaptedf'for:cooperation with theb'olt, saidkeepercomprising-a rod rotatably supportedv on. thevside of the ear, `one end of the Zrod --having Ya retain-ing loop formed thereonfor-reeeiving the upper end of the5 bolt when in one position, I and Y ai lever formed-onthe other; endy of the rodA forgactuating the same tomovethefloopjout of en ygagement orintoengagement with lthe bolt. In testimonywhereof-Ivaix'emysignature.

NELsoNto. KOSTENBAUD'ER. 

